Corel Draw X4 Startup Crashes?!..a working fix!!

Now, I wont claim I fixed this myself, as I got the fix from http://designer.com/forums/t/8250.aspx?PageIndex=2. but just in cash you were almost frustrated like me with coreldraw X4 crashes, follow the steps below to get it done, and trust me, it works!:

"Hi all,

So, I bit the bullet and installed SQL server 2008 express.  Sure enough, I can no longer run Draw. 

Alex V. and I did some debugging and discovered that a new version
of the MFC dlls are installed (version 1833) with SQL2008.  Although
Draw specifies in it's manifest that it should use version 762, it uses
the newer version instead.

Unfortunately, there seems to be a bug in the newer version of
MFC and Draw crashes whenever a docker is opened which uses Internet
Explorer control in the docker (e.g. the hints docker, concept share,
any internet docker addons (like my table styles addon)).

There doesn't seem to be any symbols for the new MFC dll, so for now, we can't debug into it.

For the time being, you can start Draw by turning off the hints docker (which is defaulted on).

Open up DrawUI.xml (you may want to back up the file) found in
<DRAW INSTALL>\Programs\UIConfig\CorelDRAW\, and find the line

<dockPage guidRef="bc1e2f70-3b58-41cd-8406-aaa550482972" visible="true" selected="true" />

and replace with:

<dockPage guidRef="bc1e2f70-3b58-41cd-8406-aaa550482972" visible="false" />

Similarly, in Photopaint, PPUI.xml in UIConfig\Corel PHOTO-PAINT\, find the line

<dockPage guidRef="1c56c2ec-07c1-46f0-baf7-441a555d595c" visible="true" selected="true" />

And replace with:

<dockPage guidRef="1c56c2ec-07c1-46f0-baf7-441a555d595c" visible="false" />

You'll have to run while holding F8 the first time after doing this to overwrite the old settings.

If you open up conceptshare or the hints docker, Draw/Photopaint will crash.

I'll have a bug logged and hopefully we'll be able to find a real fix for it.

Regards,
Hendrik"

As I said I got it from coreldraw.com/forum, and apparently, it was fixed by a corel employee. As indicated there, it seems to have something to do with SQL2008.

My Crazy Server..

Sure I have the craziest server!.. I actually inherited it though. Use to take about  15 minutes to complete shutdown, I have being able to tweak that though, but the craziest thing now is the time lag from username/password to ready-state.a whooping  9"11'.4 (yep had the time it).

Its actually an SBS 2003 box.hell I hate all-in-one stuff..in everything.

It now take  4"57' to shutdown, 8"27' to get to crtl+alt+del and another 9"11'.4 to useable state..totally crazy!

Changing my servers soon (I hope), then can really set up an enviable environment...already tripping!..

Just finished fixing  a major IAS shit.. think I need to go get something in now..

Crazy day it was: Everything just went wrong!

I foresee this might just begin a series of  crazy day it was at work..mean..almost everyday at work is crazy, only some deserves that coveted title..crazy..more than others.

Everything  just totally went wrong at work today..Started the day with this crazy memo I wasn't interested in at all (like most..really) but had to do anyway (like all!). That didn't look too bad, since a related one had being done in the past, so I can just Ctrl+C, Ctrl+V. Then, all mighty internet kaput on me and the crazy day began full swing. At that point, the little thing I thought I'd figured out got completely messy, as it became the very least of my problems (..maybe it wasn't the least, but its way far from important too).

It started by it just not working. I got the flimsy excuse from my ISP that it was because rain was falling..then when the rain stopped I called them back cause it still wasn't working, marking the (..you know what, I am not going to bore anyone with all those details).   Eventually, sometime past six the damn connection worked.

Hey, that isn't the bad day..naa naa.. that was just what sparked it. As in between that and the other works I had outlined for the day: had to attend to this other pending issue about the new HO project; totally suspended one real memo work I was working on since last week; in-between, misplaced some documents I was preparing work on; looking for some other document  to corroborate the document I misplaced and now looking for; users making ridiculous complains about their systems/the network... and the list could  go on.

It was so bad, that I forgot to eat and didn't even know it, till the whole thing climaxed later in the evening..then I felt like I could eat a cow!.. No, didn't just leave afterwards..to cap the whole thing up, had to go to help some friend with some RRAS setup he had on his network cause he was at a remote location trying to get into his network and for some reason, the thing wasn't working..when in fact it worked fine before he left the previous day!..

That was quite some day I had today!...so so thank God its over!!

Windows Workstation 2008?!

Until about two weeks ago, I was running Windows 2008 Server as a desktop (laptop) OS, Codename Windows Workstation 2008. On the surface, it seems a very cool idea..right?..popping out windows 2008, Enterprise Edition on your laptops when most other people, at the very best are running Windows Vista Ultimate.And there's another argument that it is lots faster than Vista, thought they share the same kernel. I said until the recently,  right?...yeah, you guessed right, I switched right back to Vista!

I really don't mind doing those crazy, or in the real words, cools stuff..but then, don't fancy going through unnecessary length too. As with most Windows Server OS on laptops, the major problem with running Server 2008 as a Workstation is you have to adjust every default setting in the OS, as it has been, by default, tuned for the Server OS it is meant to run. This isn't very hard to do as Server 2008, really is Vista, but on steroid! (maybe not steroid.. maybe some server apps are just added).Plus most (would have said all, but I know better!)necessary tweaks are well documented all around the internet. A good starting point should you still what to consider Windows Server 2008 as a workstation is www.win2008worstation.com.

The main issue I have with running Server 2008 is you might just need to tweak the installation of some software you really need on your system, and not all will work! Yes its the same kernel as Vista, but there definitely are some other conditions that are defined explicitly for the Server OS it is, which some applications only work or it, and some don't.

Here's my opinion: its cool and all, but what really is the point when you will still need to make it look like Vista. If there are some services that you really need in a Server OS, might just consider Vmware Server, and reducing the resource utilization to the barest minimum allowed for the Server to conserve resources.   Believe me, running Server 2008 as a laptop working OS, might just be  complete of time!